Hero
by omg kairi
Summary: Everyone is interested in the damsel-rescuing, mask-wearing Yami: Domino's own superman. Too bad our hero only has eyes for the chief editor of 'The Domino Times,' Yuugi Motou. The problem in this fairytale? Well, let's just say Yuugi isn't a fan. YxY SxJ
1. Prologue

Welcome, friends, to my newest epic fanfiction!

I came up with this idea while slaving away as a barista. I wanted a hero at that moment, and I thought of the perfect way to give myself one. I am dedicating this to my 100th reviewer of my old fiction 'Opposition.' I owed it to them, but I forgot about it.

So here's to you!

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing!

* * *

**Prologue,**

* * *

It was ridiculous.

The way everyone went absolutely crazy over this-- This, Yami.

The Japanese word for dark. Honestly? Dark? What kind of super-name was that, anyway? How did darkness inspire confidence in mankind? And how did it make the girls go ga-ga over his hidden features?

For all the world knew, he could have been some kind of deformed man-beast. He could have been missing a nose or have three eyes. And there it was; the world could live in their ignorance and continue to praise a _freak _like Yami, but I would continue to live life treasuring the things that mattered most.

* * *

"Oh, please. Someone help me!" The damsel's voice, though rather off-pitch, sounded out above the city streets, the lamps, and even many stories of the various skyscrapers. Yuugi wasn't surprised; it seemed like the arrival of a super hero also meant the arrival of various villains and their crafty, and yet muy dense, goons. Said goons were now dangling a pretty blonde over the city, during rush hour, too. They liked to make Yuugi's life difficult. He was fairly sure that they were his rivals instead of superboi's. Boi with an i, Avril-style. Not to say that Yuugi had anything against the pop-punk-princess, hell, she was hott! Lately, it seemed that he only had problems with certain black-covered, masked superstars.

Speaking of which, parading around in all of his leathered glory was the schemer, rushing off rooftops, swinging from branches, flying on clouds, he was going to save the princess today.

Small fingers moved to straighten his glasses as his gaze went from the unfolding scene to the sidewalk ahead of him. He needed to get to work and not everyone was blessed with super speed. Anyway, this particular kidnapping-and-dangling was all too familiar and cliche for him, although perfect for the Myspace/Youtube generation. He supposed that was his generation, but he was not going to blend in so easily.

And he succeeded in standing out, walking through a crowd that was completely still. His smiling features contrasted against their worried faces.

A gasp was all Yuugi needed to tell him that the crowd was going to start moving again, and the clapping only proved to annoy him.

What was so special about a guy that hid behind a mask, anyway? Yuugi had to stand in front of crowds giving pointless speeches, saying things no one wanted to hear. They could all see his face.

Inevitably, he was the bad guy.

Maybe that was why he was so bitter.

* * *

"So did you see the news today? The Maria-chick almost died!" An overly-rambunctious blonde boy sipped from his cola and continued to babble on about heroes and saved lives.

Apparently, this Maria was a super model, daughter of some rich well-to-do and this made her life special. Suddenly our hero was much, much more. He was being praised for saving this one girl's life more so than any other's before. That made Yuugi even more angry--

It was probably all some sort of publicity stunt; why was he the only one who saw through it?

"_This is most likely some sort of sad attempt at a publicity stunt by our competition, and I'm not buying it_." Rang a cold voice over the nearby television speakers.

So maybe he wasn't the only one.

"Damn, Seto Kaiba; you asshole." Jounouchi growled, though he took a break to bite into a juicy cheeseburger. The young CEO, Yuugi and Jou's former classmate, regularly voiced his, rather harsh, opinion of the superpal. At first, it had been surprising how much power the teen had over the city, being that he was just that. A teenager. Newspapers ate up his words like candy; it had actually been the fact that Yuugi graduated top of their class that had gotten him his own job. Apparently, beating Seto Kaiba was something to put on his resume in the future. "That guy thinks he owns the world, it's starting to piss me off."

Yuugi had yet to utter a single word during this particular get together with his best friend, mostly out of sheer awkwardness. Jou idolized the being that Yuugi hated most, any guesses?

"What do you think?" The words, how they did bite!

"Well, I think that... Seto is entitled to his own opinion."

The blonde rolled his eyes, "No, man. I mean what do you think about this Maria situation? Do you think it was a set-up?"

Yuugi laughed inwardly; someone was out to get him, it seemed! He was pretty sure that he was the first person in the world to assume such when he found out who the girl was. He wouldn't be surprised if Yami had been created just for this moment. It all seemed too perfect not to be a plan.

"I don't know," he sighed, "I haven't really thought about it..."

"Weird," Jou said, obviously taken aback, "Does that mean you haven't thought of what to _write_ about it?"

Yuugi knew exactly what he, chief editor of 'The Domino Times,' was going to write. Though he did not write often, being that he mostly oversaw the paper's general textual production these days, he managed to take on a few of the larger jobs himself. The big news. And so, he often used the excuse that he wrote what the public wanted to hear to please Jounouchi, but he was actually Yami's biggest hater. In fact, he owned the official hatelisting. Internet joke, ha ha .

"I'll probably write the usual, Jou-- Don't give me that look," the tri-color-haired boy laughed, waving a fork at his friend. It was the single least-threatening thing he had ever done. Maybe. "I just write what sells, you know."

"My friend the sell-out," Jou mumbled bitterly.

A smile graced Yuugi's features as he moved to fix his glasses, "How else could I buy you lunch all of the time?"

* * *

"If we aren't careful, Yami's going to put us out of business," In a dim-lit room, suits circled around a table cut from the finest wood, voices whispering in a frenzy.

"Don't be a moron," a rather blunt comment from CEO, Seto Kaiba, was expected, but no one could pretend not to hear the note of nervousness in his voice, "Just because they've got the hero working for them, doesn't mean that we are in trouble."

He sounded as if he was trying to convince himself.

"If anything, we can play their game, too. We can create a hero of our own."

The occupants of the room exchanged glances, though all eyes eventually fell back on to the brunette. Curiosity got the better of them in the end, though there was one other thing they could not pretend to do. And that was to ignore the horrifying smirk that stretched his lips so thinly.

* * *

"It was glorious," her voice was like silk now that she wasn't being dangled from heights beyond imagination, though Yuugi would have preferred not to ever have known what her voice was like. The worst part of his job was the interviews, especially with brainless super models. Brainless super models gushing over brainless super heroes. "He was so warm and welcoming, the way he asked if I was alright. I wish I could see him again--"

Her gaze was now directed towards the window, a glazed look overtaking her pleasant features. A typical woman. Yuugi tried his hardest not to roll his eyes, instead steadying his glasses.

"M'am, if you please, you never answered the _question_." He said exasperatedly, tapping the spacebar of his mini-notebook in his frustration.

"Right," she blushed, "What was it again?"

A sigh escaped his lips, "Have you ever met Yami under other circumstances? Before or after your kidnapping?"

"No," Maria admitted softly, sadly, "I wish!"  
There was something off about her voice and the distant look in her eyes. The way her lips quivered with the spoken, and possibly the unspoken, words. Maria looked broken, as though the love of her life had just left her--  
Maybe he did...

It was in that moment that Yuugi realized something. Despite the fact that she was a gushing, crazy woman, he believed her. She sounded so desperate and so completely crushed by the fact that she hadn't seen him again or hadn't know him before. If this was a planned kidnapping, then she surely had nothing to do with it. Though it would make complete sense to leave her out of it.

What kind of father would put his child into such a situation for money? He shook his head, moving on to the next question.

* * *

You can expect description and things that make sense in chapters to come.  
As well as romance.

It's only the start, my friends.

**omg kairi**


	2. A Hero to Save You

And now the story really starts my friends. hehe!

I would like to thank all of my reviewers from chapter one. Without you guys, I would be spending my days selling pot on the side of the road.  
Just kidding.  
Maybe.

**previously known as bird**: I'm pleased you're pleased, friend. If you were previously known as bird, may I ask what you are known as now? Or like... Is it a puzzle? Do I take the first letter of every word? Pkab? Or the last? Ynsd. Okay, probably not the last...

**Shamise**: Haha, well-- I dunno, I saw Batman one too many times, me thinks.

**Jisa**: And I cannot wait until you read it.

**Eternal Crimson Love**: Yea... Well, it's unrealistic because it's about super heroes, and well... It's kinda strange, but super heroes don't exist, you know? hehe. Crazy stuff. But yea, it's got some borrowed elements, but I'm glad you're still giving it a chance. As things progress, hopefully you'll think differently.

**yugixyamiyaoilover**: Jeez, your pen name is a mouth full. Whoa. But yea, that's why I decided to make him a super hero and not Yuugi. It was a close call, though.

**luvanime4life**: Thanks, bud. Hope you like this one.

**Hime no Ichigo**: Yea, Yuugi is always like-- So girly in fanfiction. I try to make him as sarcastic as possible without taking him completely out of character. But, alas, the fact that he hates anyone is kind of out of character. haha! But hey, don't worry. Yami always gets the man in the end.

**YamiYugi4ever**: Ahaha, ohhh-- Leave a good review after this chapter, kay?

**lady Alexas**: Oh, lady of many words. Thanks for the encouraging review. Please enjoy this update!

* * *

**Chapter One  
A Hero to Save You,**

* * *

Yuugi wrapped his coat around his arm, realizing that the night wasn't half as cold as he had expected it to be. He was glad for this development, though; he hated walking home with the wind blowing against his face in the already chilled air.

His interview with supermodel Maria Vasquez went more smoothly than expected, except for the fact that he was completely confused by women and their odd fascinations with men in masks. This one was completely obsessed, tending to talk about Yami as if they were dating, when in fact, she had no contact with him at all.  
Perhaps this was all part of the grand master plan, keeping Maria out of the loop while her father used her rescue and eventual infatuation to advertise the Vasquez name. He was the owner of VasGamez, rival to Seto Kaiba's own gaming company. It was obvious that Yuugi's old classmate was now hurting from the positive publicity for VG after the set-up, or what may have been a set-up. Seto Kaiba was parading around making accusations like never before; he had more screen time than most actors after these past few days.

The teenage chief editor rounded a corner, slinking past a few shady-looking characters as he continued on his way home. How he would have hated to get into a tiff with one of them! They were all so muscular, years of battle etched into the fine lines of their foreheads. Thankfully, Yuugi had never gotten into a fight, though he carried pepper spray around constantly. In fact, he had some in his coat--  
Deciding that it would be a better idea to have access to his only defense, despite the warm temperature, Yuugi put said coat on. His hands were now fisted in his pockets, one painfylly tight around the sleek bottle of justice.

He had never been into a fight, but he knew it was bound to happen one day. He pissed enough people off as a journalist to have quite a few enemies. It was only a matter of time until he went too far in someone's eyes and they came after him. And by they, Yuugi meant their group of iron-strong thugs. He shivered slightly, pausing at the corner of Neil street to hit the walk-button. He found himself rocking back and forth on his heels, waiting unusually anxiously for the light to change. It was pretty late, nearly 9 PM, and he was ready to go home, hit the hay and repeat the day over again tomorrow. Yuugi knew that in the next twenty-four hours, the hero would make some sort of appearance and he would have to deal with it in the best way that he could: Angrily. He would probably have to interview a few people, call a few connections, and then write something beautiful. Beautiful and cruel, just like human nature.  
Part of him wished for the day when there wouldn't be a big enough headline for him to have to write anything.

"Agh!!"

Yuugi was snapped out of his angsting by the sound of a groan accompanied by various clanging around in a nearby alleyway. It sounded like someone was getting their ass kicked, painfully. The spiky-haired man cringed, not realizing the the lights had changed. In this moment, he could have ignored the cries in pain and kept walking, but no--  
His curiosity got the better of him, one day it would be the cause of his death. Maybe that day was today? Yuugi laughed inwardly, his hand gripping that pepper spray very hard as he peered around the corner.

Three large goons were huddled around a man's body. This man was glaring up at them harshly, though it seemed as if he was held back by something; he just glared and prepared for the inevitable beating that was coming his way. And the goons did not disappoint, they began to beat him into the cold, hard ground below him. Yuugi felt the bile rise to his throat as the evil men laughed, kicking the poor soul at terrible, painful angles. The shouts of pain were the only things that let Yuugi know the downed man was still alive.

Yuugi quickly contemplated what he should do as he bit nervously at his bottom lip. Part of him wanted jump in there and try to fight, though he knew the practical and sade idea was to call the police. But if he did call the police, he would have to leave the scene and there would be a good amount of time for the fiends to run. Although, if he jumped into the fight, well, it would most likely mean his death. Both options were horrible--  
But there wasn't much time! Every second brought the victim closer to an eternity of sleep that Yuugi didn't need on his conscience.

There was a new noise, a sudden and loud noise that carried through the streets like a banshee's cry. A gun shot.  
The man was screaming so loudly now, and Yuugi was shocked that he was the only one to hear. It was inhuman, these cries. They brought tears to the chief editor's eyes; he felt so completely powerless to help the poor man. He was just standing there like a coward.

No, not anymore.  
He had to do something.

Despite how badly he was shaking,Yuugi took in a deep breath. He was going to die tonight! Trying to save someone...  
He had become just as reckless and annoying as Yami himself! The man frowned, wondering briefly where the hero was tonight. Obviously shirking his duties. Yuugi found yet another reason to hate him. He would be the indirect cause of his death.

He peered nervously around the corner in time to see two of the thugs running toward him. Thinking quickly, Yuugi hid behind a nearby garbage can. He was thankful for his short stature and small frame, though he never thought he would admit out loud to such a thing.

"You moron! You're going to wake up the whole city!"  
"The cops will be here soon, come on!"

The thugs were calling back to the last member as they ran, but didn't stop to see if he was coming. So much for brotherhood. It was really all for one in the streets of Domino.

Moments later, Yuugi emerged from his hiding spot, gripping the heavy lid of the garbage can. It smelled like rotten eggs, but he wasn't too concerned with that at the moment.

Tiptoeing slowly, softly toward the scene, Yuugi managed to catch a good portion of a one-sided conversation he didn't quite understand at that point in time.

"You shouldn't have gone against us, you know. We control the city. I don't care who the fuck you are."

The owner of the body didn't move. He didn't speak. Yuugi could only see the outline of his body rise and fall in jagged breath. It pained his heart to see anyone so wounded. He would fix this. Yuugi Motou would be the hero tonight.

"Don't you wish you had a hero to save you?" The figure laughed, "O', the irony!"

These were his last words before he hit the ground, a pleased Yuugi standing behind him, twirling the lid awkwardly in his tiny hands.

The wounded man looked up from his spot, obviously in pain but, surprisingly, quite alive.

"You-- You could have been killed!" He shouted... Angrily? His baritone voice floated so smoothly past Yuugi's ears. It was so warm and welcoming-- The man was sitting up now, though his features were still impossible to make out in the darkness of the alleyway.

Despite this, Yuugi looked quite defiant, slightly angered that he was being scolded rather than thanked.

"Seriously, man? I just saved your life!" He retorted, dropping the lid of the garbage can. "I could have kept walking you know."

"You should have," The man lifted a hand to run it through his hair. A sign of annoyance that Yuugi tried his best to ignore. "I would have been fine, you could have died!"

"That guy shot you! How can you say you would have been fine?!" Yuugi shouted back incredulously. This new and unexpected situation was the most frustrating thing, knowing that he just risked his life for a completely ungrateful person

The figure clutched his shoulder, where Yuugi assumed the bullet hit him, as he raised himself off of the ground. The light from the lamp just outside the dark passage shinned against his rising figure.

You could imagine the various thoughts running through the violet-eyed man's head when he realized exactly why Domino's hero hadn't come to this man's rescue.

You can't very well rescue yourself.

"You?!" The journalist spat out, "_You_?!"

Yami raised an eyebrow as he stepped closer to Yuugi, stretching as if he hadn't just been beaten half to death. Noting the new look of surprise on Yuugi's face, he shrugged.

"I heal fast."

To say that he was pissed was an understatement. Of all the people he could have been risking his life for, it had to be him. The last person who needed Yuugi to save him.  
Someone really was out to get him these days.

"I can't **believe** this--" Yuugi sighed, fixing his glasses, which had become quite jumbled in his adventures. "Why me?"

Yami raised the other eyebrow at Yuugi's frustrating babble, now standing a mere foot away from his 'savior.' "What, that you are standing so close to a super hero?"

Yuugi wanted to smack that smirk right off the masked man's face. He was so cocky, so completely aware of his fame. He was instantly reminded of Seto Kaiba.  
"No, I can't believe that I actually tried to save your life."

"I see. I cannot believe that myself, I admit. You must be insane. I can't imagine what normal person would even consider trying to save some random person from armed men," the hero laughed, "especially when they are unarmed themselves."

Well, that much was true. Yuugi must have been going crazy.

"Yea, well, I completely regret it now," Yuugi glared at the hero, who just smirked in return. "And technically I have pepper spray, so I wasn't _completely_ unarmed."

Yami raised his arms as if to say, "What the hell?" But before any more words could be exchanged between the two, they both became fully aware that the previously knocked out thug was starting to wake up. Without warning, Yuugi was swept off of his feet and being carried bridal-style.  
"Where to?" The hero questioned, his face unreasonably close to Yuugi's.

"Ugh, the Turtle Game Shop, please." It was famous in the city, being the biggest game shop around for miles. It had started out as a tiny corner store, but his grandfather had really worked wonders with it the years.

"I love that store, you own it?" The hero questioned, surprising Yuugi with the fact that he shopped there, that a hero shopped anywhere.

"My grandfather does; I live with him. I help out sometimes, but mostly him and my friend Jounouchi run it." He didn't know why he was just offering up so much information. What did it matter to this guy, anyway? Yuugi didn't want to admit to himself that he enjoyed being this close to the warm body. This must have been what Maria was talking about. He was probably casting his evil spell on Yuugi.

"Motou. That is your name, correct? And you're the young journalist, Yuugi." Yami suddenly understood all of Yuugi's annoyed reactions that night; everything was falling into place. He started again, bitterly this time. "You write all of those nice columns about me in the Times."

Yuugi blushed, not missing the grimace on the hero's face. He nearly felt guilty for one second. But only nearly.  
"Cheif Editor," he corrected matter-of-factly, "but, yea, that's me. Are you a fan?"

"Oh yes, I especially love the latest one. About myself and the super model. I love that the whole city believes me to be a fraud who is running away with my rich lover." Yami rolled his eyes, placing Yuugi on to the sidewalk.

The smaller boy hadn't exactly been paying attention to their surroundings, but he was pretty amazed at how fast they got there. A plus of being a super hero, he supposed. Yuugi didn't really know the full extent of Yami's powers, though he didn't think he really cared all the much. He didn't need any other reasons to hate the guy. And jealousy was completely unbecoming in vertically-challenged males.

"Well, man. I just write what the people want to hear," Yuugi began, shrugging, "though, that's not to say that I don't enjoy it."

Yami smiled down at the smaller of the two despite himself, crimson eyes shinning mischieviously in the streetlamp's dull light.

There was an awkward silence for a moment. Yuugi was surprised the whole last ten minutes hadn't been this quiet after the two realized who the other was.  
Yami was a cocky super hero and Yuugi was the jealous writer bent on reeking written havoc.  
He supposed it was destiny that they met, but he wasn't going to let the hero win.

Oh no, villans don't ever give up easily.

"Thanks for the ride." With that, Yuugi, frowning, let himself into the game shop, planning on sleeping away the night's interesting events. He was still completely angry with himself for saving someone who didn't need saving. His least favorite person in the world, in any case.

Yami's smile, however, didn't diminish as he turned on his heels, "Thanks for saving me."

And then he was gone.

* * *

Please review, flame, whatever! I love feedback. I love you guys.  
A note for everyone, hopefully many will be excited, I plan on updating my old fictions. These include 'Dark Connection,' 'Walk Like an Egyptian," and last but not least, "Opposition."  
So if you haven't read those, get on it!

**omg kairi**


	3. The Creation of a Supervillan

Hey kids! This update took a bit longer than I had planned. It's been a busy week!!

I'm hoping to keep updates to weekly at the longest, but we'll see how that goes. Being a college student/full-time employee sucks!!

I want to thank all of my reviewers. There were a ton of you so I'm not going to be able to answer everyone this time, but you guys are all really awesome. I just want you to know that!!

**Masaka1**: Yami would prefer not to be praised or bashed. Yuugi is in a rebellious stage and wants to take over the world with his writing, so he does kinda want to be the villian, hehe. Both of them kinda have to come to terms with the fact that you can't always get what you want.

**Eternal Crimson Love**: haha, niiiice. I'm glad you like the story now?

**tinkletimekelly**: Your name frightens me slightly. Opposition and this story are both puppyshipping. Sorry, I like it. But please try and enjoy both stories regardless.

**tavia454**: I thought about making it all secretive and never having them meet until the last minute... But I kinda liked the idea of torturing them!

**Hime no Ichigo**: Yami is kinda cocky; he hates the idea of someone thinking he isn't amazing.

**Yuugisgirl**: Yea! Bet no one expected the little Yuugi to be a hero!

**Angel's Charm**: Yea. No one likes a fangirl Yuugi. I like Yuugi to have a backbone and then some.

**Flying on a Broken Wing**: Thank you!! I think I've grown a lot in my writing over the last few years. I'm trying, anyway.

* * *

**Chapter Two,  
****The Creation of A Super-Villian**

* * *

It didn't take thirteen highly trained, educated, and infinitely over-paid lawyers to tell Seto Kaiba that, as things stood, his company was in deep trouble.

It would take nothing short of a miracle to pull them out of their current financial situation.

So, thankfully, while Seto was sitting in his private meeting room, surrounded by his panicking lawyer, his favorite employees were busy working on their latest project deep under the building.

The brunette grimaced, his large hands gripping the edge of the table steadily.

"Listen," Seto's commanding voice rang out over the chatter of the room, "There is no reason to be alarmed. Not yet. Right now you all still have jobs and I am not paying you to run around like chickens with your heads cut off."

The blinking eyes of his audience told Seto Kaiba that they did not completely understand the warning in his voice and he did not hesitate to roll his eyes. "Get the fuck out, before I fire you."

And within seconds, the noise level in the room had dropped considerably.

Seto's long legs made the journey to the basement in less time than any normal man's. Seto hadn't really given this fact much thought, otherwise he might have been interested in running a marathon if it meant beating others at something. Thankfully, the CEO had more important things on his mind.

As he stepped through the fingerprint-protected steel doors, he was welcomed by the sight of his most promised employees working diligently on his career-saving device.

A long-haired boy ran up to him, the large smile an extreme contradiction to Seto's indifference. "Hey Seto! You have gotta see this!" The boy said, grabbing the cold man's hand.

The older teen had grown quite used to his younger brother's antics. If anyone else in the world had dared to grab his hand like that, he probably would have twisted it into some painful position until it fell off. Or something equally as terrible.

With Mokuba, however, he simply acknowledged the childish behavior as 'cute' and was done with it. Though he would only admit something like that to himself in the deep reaches of his dark and scary mind.

Seto was dragged up to a glass window that showed into a completely white room, one that the 'scientists,' as Seto had dubbed them, Mokuba and himself recognized as the experimentation chamber.

Inside the room where two of Seto's over-paid employees were testing out their newest project, dubbed DUEL DISK VERSION 4.8.

The concept was extremely simple. A child would take one of their Duel Monsters cards, the latest fad among grade school children, slip it into one of the card slots designed for playing the game, and suddenly a very real-life-looking monster would appear before them.

The problem with the previous versions was just that.

The monster's all looked very fake, very unconvincing. Seto was the type of CEO that liked to inspire fear in small children and so far the Duel Disk had been relatively meek.

Although, he was curious to see what they had come up with this time. His scientists were convinced that they had it down. The tall teen's smirk grew on his face as he watched the two testers slip on their disks.

Once they released news of their latest accomplishment, Kaiba Corp. would surely take off as it never had before. Playing games with real monsters was something no one had ever experienced, not like this anyway. Normal children on the playground would be able to play out the most realistic duels anyone could imagine for a fairly decent price. Of course, only their parents would have to worry about that part.

The testers pulled out their individual decks, making sure to shuffle them first. They then slipped them into the designated slots on the disks. Seto overlooked the nervous exchange the two would-be duelists had before the first drew a card.

The first test was to put an actual monster into play.

Within seconds, everyone realized it would also be the last test.

The card was placed into one of the monster card slots and suddenly the black magician was on the field. The complete look of malice in his eyes was hard to miss, especially to both of the horrified testers in the chamber. The explosion was heard throughout the building and Seto was instantly thinking of a story for the media. He didn't have much time, however, because the evil monster was trying to break out of the room, luckily the walls were built to hold almost anything. Seto assumed that the testers hadn't made it through, however, but it was hard to see through the dust and smoke that covered the window.

"Mokuba, run. Now!" Seto said, shoving his brother toward the nearest exit.

"Brother, you have to come with!" The smaller pleaded, tears threatening to spill down his young face. "I can't lose you!"

"You won't. I'm going to take care of this problem. Now get out of here!" Seto's look was far from comforting, but Mokuba knew when his mind was made up. He could only hope that his brother would be alright.

After making sure that Mokuba was on his way towards safety, Seto dared to enter the smoke-filled chamber. Dropping to his knees, he searched the floor for his employees. The room was quite large due to the size of the experiments it was to be containing, it took him a few minutes to find the first one.

He didn't look too badly hurt, but he had passed out at the very least. Seto didn't have time to check for pulses; he grabbed the duel disk and turned to the waiting monster that was smirking above him. How long the black magician had been standing there, he did not know, but it was obvious what he would have to do now.

Pulling out his favorite card, which he kept conveniently in his pocket when he wasn't using it to duel, he placed the dragon card into one of the free monster slots.

A moment later, the large blue eyes was standing before him protectively, Seto wasn't going to question the difference in attitudes between the two monsters, he was too awestruck by the sheer size of his dragon. He didn't even need to call out an attack. Instantly the dragon was on top of the black magician who had been caught offguard been mid-attack. The shaking CEO was against the wall in fear as the blue eyes finished off the evil magician with a mighty blow.

He wasn't sure how long he had been standing there, unmoving. He was only aware of the large creature that had now directed it's attention on to him. Oddly enough, it seemed to be just as scared of him, as if they were both waiting for the other to attack. Seto Kaiba was never one to back away from anything, but he was slightly surprised with himself for offering his hand to a monster comparable in size to a house. He was aware of the fact that he was shaking, but right now he only cared about the look of acceptance in the monster's eyes as it offered the very tip of his tail in return.

Seto knew he had won something here. Sadly, the Duel Disk would have to be modified in the opposite direction in order to release it to the public, but he had in his hands something much greater.

He had his own personal answer to his Yami problem.

Removing the card from the Duel Disk, the brunette felt a genuine smile growing on his normally stoic features.  
And perhaps it was the smile that sealed the Domino Hero's fate.

* * *

The day was passing very slowly for a certain spiky-haired youth. He had the day off from his job at the paper, but he promised Jounouchi he would cover his shift so he could go on a date.

Jounouchi the stud.

Yuugi Motou smiled as he flipped the page of the newspaper he was reading.

Customers had been in and out all afternoon, but things had slowed down considerably now that closing time was approaching. He had dealt with all kinds so far, old people with no idea what to buy their grandchildren, mothers trying to spoil their fat kids, and teenagers looking to take over the world with a card game.

He laughed softly to himself, shouting a hello to a customer who had just walked into the store. The bell that rang when the front door opened was enough to make someone suicidal after listening to it go off all day long. Yuugi had been doing this most of his life and was kind of sad to still be doing it even though he now had his own career to worry about.

It was for Jounouchi, though. As if reminding himself would make it all better.

"Excuse me," a timid voice flowed through his ears, and the youngest Motou met eyes with who he assumed to be the customer that walked in moments before. He stifled a chuckle, noticing how the owner of the voice had a hard time making eye contact. Something about gamers, they were all super shy and rather dorky.

He himself was rather dorky, but working with other people was a large part of his job. Shy was not a word he would use to describe himself.

"How can I help you?" He asked, shoving the newspaper aside. Always give a customer your full attention! Yuugi was convinced he could sell a vegetarian a cheeseburger.

Gooood, cheeseburgers were SO good. Okay, Yuugi may have been a little bit weird in addition to dorky. But still, great at customer service.

"I'm looking for something," the man said softly, his eyes flickering up to meet Yuugi's every so often. He pretended to look through the glass counter at the cards inside. Or at least Yuugi assumed he was pretending. "A newer game, ahh- Duel Monsters?"

Yuugi pulled out various packs of cards, spreading them across to the counter to show the customer. "We have a few starter decks here and a few packs, but we're selling out like crazy." Yuugi admitted sheepishly, a laugh escaping his throat. He looked up at the shy man, noticing that his eyes were on him. "...What?" He questioned, but quickly forgot about it at the sound of a distant explosion.

"What the hell?" He asked, running over to the doors, "Where did that come from?!"

The other man looked pretty freaked out; Yuugi was worried for a moment that he might faint or something.

"M-My Mother!" He mumbled, taking off out the door unusually fast. The journalist raised an eyebrow, reaching out to turn the open sign. His grandfather would understand if he closed the store a bit early. He had to find out what was going on out there.

After all, it was his job to be nosy.

* * *

Hope you guys enjoyed it. I spellchecked it, but I'm guessing there are a ton of errors. I didn't have time to reread it yet, I was kind of in a hurry to update. So if you guys want to help me out and point out stuff that I can fix... That would be swell!!

Otherwise, I'll read it later on when I get some time!!

**omg kairi**


	4. Wait a Minute

I felt kinda bad that the last chapter was so short, so hopefully this one will make up for it. Although I'm not sure you'll like it very much. It's kind of a surprise-surprise chapter. One of those chapters you need, but don't really want to have to read.

I don't know if anyone really has any idea what I'm talking about, but I'm good at pretending.

Thanks for all the reviews friends, I will do my usual responding, and then we can get back to the story!!

**Kurotorachan**: It is supposed to be cute and amusing, so I'm glad you thought it was. If you had thought it was dark and depressing, I'd have been sad. Although this chapter is a LITTLE bit dark. You'll get to discover a new side to our hero.

**kingleby**: Thank you. Yuugi likes having a spine, too. He hates sponges.

**luvanime4life**: Oh-ho! Think what you'd like! I admit that I thought the ending to the last chapter gave too much away! But no one really got it... So I'm thinking that I am dumb. But you are not, my friend. Enjoy this chapter.

**yugixyamiyaoilover**: That is for me to know and you to find out, my long-named friend.

**sonata hirano**: Awesome.

**lady Alexas**: Here you go.

**YuugisGirl**: I hope you have even more questions after this chapter. If you don't, then I have failed as an author.

**YamiYugi4ever**: Thanks for the thanks. Hopefully this chapter will answer your questions, bud.

* * *

**Chapter Three  
"Wait a Minute... Did You Just Summon a Bunch of Monsters in One Turn?"**

* * *

As if having their own super hero wasn't unrealistic enough for the city of Domino, they now found their beautiful park to be over-run by dozens of odd creatures, varying in size and color that were slightly familiar. And as if that wasn't unnerving enough for the citizens, they seemed to be under the control of yet another over-dressed, mask-wearing vigilante. They had a pretty good idea that this one, however, was not so much of a blessing as Yami.

Unknown to them, said masked-man was none other than Seto Kaiba, CEO of Kaiba Corp. Having taken control of one of his semi-faulty Duel Disks just minutes before, he decided that it was a good time to practice with it. Despite the citizens fear of an attack on the city, Seto only had one victim in mind: The Domino Hero.

It wouldn't be long until Yami would come to his call, in the defense of his beloved home. However, fate would not be on the super-teen's side tonight. Not this time. It would be the last time that Seto Kaiba would have to worry about Yami stealing the spotlight. Kaiba Corp. would rule over televisions and billboards once again!

The CEO laughed from behind his black mask, a long, matching cloak running over the length of his tall body.  
No one would recognize him. No one could stop him.  
Not with all of the monsters known to the game of Duel Monsters under his control.

Beside him was the mighty Blue Eyes White Dragon, roughly the size of half the park. With such a mighty beast fighting on his side, there was no way that Seto could fail in his mission.

"How--?" From feet away came a voice that sounded considerably less cocky than usual. A voice belonging to the man that Seto had named his rival without the other's knowledge. The infamous hero of Domino City.

Seto answered Yami's shaken question with an attack from Blue Eyes, who swiped his large tail in Yami's general direction.

The hero dodged easily, being much, much smaller than his enemy.  
Though he hadn't been counting on an ork-like creature to come from his left, taking a hit to his side.

"Damn, I'm out-numbered." The hero thought aloud, clenching his fists as he straightened himself out. He moved in time to dodge yet another attack from the ork and a similar-looking friend.

"Keep running, Hero." Seto laughed coolly, his arms crossed in an extremely calm manner. He was working to unnerve his foe. "That's all you can do, really."

Yami's brain was working as fast as it possibly could while he dodged attack after attack, taking hits more often than he was comfortable with. How was this possible? These monsters were so completely under the control of this mysterious figure. Yami wasn't aware that anyone had the power to control the power of darkness like this. It was incredible. The teenage hero hadn't feared for his own life in quite some time, to have an actual challenge in front of him was--

Exciting.

Seto was taken aback by the smirk that formed on the hero's face, wondering if his enemy had suddenly gone insane. The CEO was winning! What reason did Yami have to smirk like that?

Suddenly Yami's movements were a lot faster than before, blurring around more quickly than his monster's could possibly attack.

"He's like liquid," Seto thought, completely astonished, "I've never seen anything like this before."

Within moments, Yami was standing directly in front of the masked-CEO, staring intently into the eyes of his hidden face. "You interest me," he told Seto, well aware that the monsters wouldn't attack while he was so close to their master, "How is it that you have come to control these ancient beasts?"

Seto Kaiba was confused now, ancient beasts? What did he mean by that?

"That's for me to know, I'm afraid." He answered simply, stepping back,"I don't like to give away my secrets."

The laugh that escaped Yami's mouth made Seto shiver; it was laced with cockiness beyond comparison with Seto's usual thought processes. There was something he knew that Seto didn't and it was going to be the death of him. Maybe literally. It depended on the amount of mercy the hero was capable of when it came to villains.

"I understand; secrets are meant to be kept that way," Yami said, taking a step forward to make up for Seto's, "Then allow me to show you how I do it."

* * *

Yuugi walked quickly towards the park where witnesses had allegedly seen a mysterious man controlling animals, using them to attack innocent children. Or something nearly as terrible. The vertically-challenge journalist was thinking of all the ways he could make this story sound more interesting, because he was sure that giant monsters couldn't REALLY be attacking the city. That was some Cloverfield-drama that he wasn't ready for in his lifetime.

He laughed to himself at such nonsense, but was quickly silenced by the sounds of nearby screams. People were running from the direction of the park, trampling over others in an attempt to escape whatever situation had arisen in the vicinity. Rather than scare him, it sparked his interest. Maybe Godzilla was ravaging the park. Who was he to second-guess citizens firsthand experiences? Besides the fact that the majority of the Domino City consisted of uneducated hicks that LOVED to read magazines and newspapers, just to get the dirt on celebrities and politicians.

He pressed himself against a nearby building as the, rather large, crowd squeezed by. A few caring people told him to run, throwing him looks as if he was insane to be heading in the direction of impending danger. Yuugi gave a reassuring smile that was most likely overlooked and continued on his way. Maybe risking his life would get him a big fat bonus, or even a raise.

The teen grinned at the idea of having a larger paycheck every two weeks.

His clever thoughts were interrupted by an explosion similar to the one he heard from the comfort of his grandfather's game shop only minutes before.

Yuugi stepped wearily towards the park, taking in the scene unfolding before him. A large monster, that Yuugi recognized as the Blue Eyes White Dragon from his favorite card game, stood tall in the middle of the park. Besides him were two figures, dwarfed by the creatures immense size. The teen recognized one of them as the hero, a small frown forming on his face. Well, it wasn't as if he hadn't expected him to be there.

Although, that was all he had expected. He didn't believe the rumors about giant monsters, yet here they were, standing right in front of him.

Not just the Blue Eyes; Yuugi recognized several other monsters from the card game. How was it that the creatures that looked so timid on paper could be so horrifying as they bounded about the green park?

He regretted his job for a moment, but decided that the pay would be well worth the risk.

The Chief Editor stepped through various bushes, attempting to sneak as close to the duo as he could without being seen or heard. He didn't really want to get hurt. And he really didn't want to get in the way of Yami, either. Not because he had grown soft after their encounter, but simply so Yami could continue to save the world and be a cocky jerk without ever having to speak to Yuugi again.

"--to show you how I do it." Yuugi blinked. What were they talking about? Yami's smirk was incredibly sinister for a super hero, but he seemed to have the villain sinking back into the protection of his blue eyes.

Surprisingly, Yami also took a step back. An odd golden light glowed from under his mask as he raised an arm. His palm was pointed outward toward the mysterious cloaked figure.

He was silent for a moment, as if he was thinking out his next actions. "I see," he started, a chuckle rumbling through his toned chest, "So, you've met my friend already. Good. I'm bad with introductions, anyway."

The glow brightened to the point where Yuugi had to look away. He was having a hard time believing what was going on around him. Part of him hoped he would wake up soon. Of course, Yami had been a hero since the start, but Yuugi had never actually seen him perform any sort of magic. Or whatever you would call this.

The light began to slowly diminish and the teen was suddenly aware of a new presence. The Black Magician, Yuugi's favorite card, was suddenly standing with Yami. The way the mage held himself had Yuugi in complete awe. He was so majestic...

How could any of this be real?

Regardless of the fear that now bubbled in his stomach, Yuugi couldn't bring himself to run. Instead he had to watch, curiosity always winning in the journalist's mind.

"But how--?!" The figure screamed, falling backward to the cold ground, "How did you do that?"

The way Yami licked his lips, staring back at the villain like a tasty treat was enough to make anyone question exactly how heroic he really was.

"Ah, you know--" He winked, slowly lifting a finger toward the cowering man before him, "The thing about secrets, they're meant to be kept."

Instantly the figure was on his feet, commanding the dragon to block whatever attack was coming. Unlike the battle in the basement of Kaiba Corp., this magician somehow held the upper hand. Seto hadn't dreamed of the outcome. How could he have known that Yami possessed these hidden powers? He had never shown any sort of magic ability before, Seto assumed this would be an easy win. He miscalculated greatly. He screamed as Black Magician tore his dragon into holographic pieces with a powerful blast of energy.

Seto couldn't help himself. He knew it was cowardly, but he found his legs running where ever they could carry him, as fast as they could carry him. The brunette found himself in a dead end alley with Yami's magician feet behind him. How had he gotten there so fast?

The creature grinned at him for a moment. Seto's chest rose and fell quickly, feeling like his heart might pop out of his chest. What was he going to do to him? Would he kill him?  
Relief hit him as the tall figure turned, floating ever so slightly off of the dirty pavement. He was going to go free.

Or so he thought. The magician, without looking, shot a smaller energy wave through the alleyway. The beam bounced in many directions, but it found it's target within milliseconds, hitting the CEO dead on.

It was by far the most incredible pain he had ever felt.

He fell to the ground, his hands clenching into fists as he screamed himself hoarse.  
He was only too grateful when he eventually passed out.

* * *

Yami closed his eyes, watching in his mind as his monster moved to finish the masked man off. He wasn't dumb, he knew the figure cloaked in black was none other than Seto Kaiba. Anyone could recognize that voice if they listened carefully enough. Maybe it was for that reason, the fact that Seto was only human, that the hero took pity on him and helped him to find sleep there in the alley. Pain was a terrible feeling, and despite the fact that Seto hated him, he had never been good at, you know, not SAVING people.

Even if said people wanted him dead.

Yami knew who his enemies were. They made nasty comments about him on TV or in newspapers...  
Speaking of which...

The masked-hero called the Black Magician back, thanking him for his help in the, rather pointless, battle. With a bow, the creature returned to where it had come from.

A certain teenager, still hiding behind nearby trees and scrubs, was still watching.

He could only watch fearfully as the Domino Hero approached him, his smirk replaced by an ugly frown.

"What are you doing here, little Motou?" He questioned roughly.

Yuugi was too shaken to even answer. He pressed his back to a nearby tree, swallowing as he struggled to find words. Any words. Now that Yami had shown his true powers, his true colors, would he turn on Yuugi? The spiky-haired man was constantly attacking Yami in his articles, not to mention that he had gotten in the way the night before. The hero already had so many reasons to hate him, so many reasons to dispose of him. Now Yuugi had seen too much. So what would Yami do?

To Yuugi's surprise, he just sighed. Running a hand through his hair in mock frustation, Yami stepped closer to the smaller man. Despite his 'eep!' of surprise, the taller teen picked him up bridal style. Yuugi was suddenly reminded of the awkward ride home just the night before.

"We really need to stop running into each other this way." Yami laughed softly.

The rest of the trip home was quiet; Yuugi found that it was impossible for him to talk. He didn't know what he would say even if he could find words. He wasn't really sure of what he had witnessed in the park, but he had a good idea that Yami wouldn't want to tell a journalist the details. For once, he didn't even know what he was going to write.

Yami placed him onto his own feet, watching as Yuugi silently walked up to the front door. The teen's silence seemed to go against his nature, although the super teen couldn't exactly say that it didn't make sense for him to be frightened. He had witnessed a side of Yami that he had never really wanted anyone innocent to ever see.

Maybe he wasn't the pure-hearted savior everyone wanted to be, but his actions were still in defense of the city he loved.

Yuugi turned back to look at him for a moment, but it was only a moment before he let himself into his home.  
Those eyes--  
They were so judgemental.

Would it always be that way, as long as he was Yami, The Domino Hero?

Sadly, he turned away from the game shop for the last time that day.

He could only imagine the headline of tomorrow's paper.

* * *

So this chapter was pretty long for me, I think. There wasn't very much speaking, however. I find that I often concentrate too much on speech than thoughts. I'm trying to be as vague as possible, and then fill you guys with info during, like, the last three chapters.

I know, I'm terrible.

**omg kairi**


	5. How to Save a Life

Sorry for the late update, guys! I've been really busy this past week, but here is the next chapter for my beloved readers!!

But first, a response to some of your reviews!

.**xXx RoCk aNgEL xXx.**: Once again? Hmm, thanks? haha!

**luvanime4life**: Well, honestly, you won't really know about all of that until next chapter. Progressing story and whatnot.

**ylc**: w00t! Thanks, man. I love being totally awesome.

**Yuugisgirl**: Eh, I wouldn't call it that, not a filler. It's too important to be a filler. But like. I don't know. haha!! Yea, pretty much Yuugi is really confused and angry after seeing Yami like that. I can't make it easy for our two lovers!

**Jisa**: Yea, I didn't want everyone to think I was just copying a general hero storyline. I had to make it YuGiOh-ish somehow.

**SRRH**: You'll be surprised how this turns out. I hope, anyway.

**YamiYugi4Ever**: Yea, we all know that Yami is a good guy at heart. But our little Yuugi, doesn't! bwhaha!!!! You'll see some of Seto in this chapter, so enjoy!

**

* * *

**

Chapter Four  
How to Save a Life,

* * *

It hadn't been seconds since Yuugi had walked out the door and his grandfather was already on the phone with Jounouchi. The elderly man was nearly obsessed with keeping his grandson out of harms way after his parents has passed away and, thankfully, Yuugi had managed to at least make one decent friend in his lifetime.

Jou sighed as he hung up the phone, knowing that his evening off was hardly going to be spent relaxing. Sadly for him, he was on call 24/7 when it came to Yuugi. As if the boy couldn't handle himself...

The blonde knew that his friend had a tendency to make enemies, though. For this reason he found himself acting just as crazy as Yuugi's grandfather sometimes.

He grabbed his jacket, which was a particularly lovely shade of grey having been washed one too many times, and stumbled out of the front door. According to the news, some crazy shit was going down at the park. Knowing his vertically challenged friend, he was probably in the thick of it.  
Yuugi took his job very seriously.  
A would literally give his life for a good story without a single regret.

Even though Jounouchi found this hard to take and even harder to understand, he couldn't help but silently respect his friend's dedication and bravery. His logic and priorities might have been a little off, but anyone willing to throw themselves in the line of fire like that had to be one total bad ass.  
But Jounouchi would never admit such a thing to Yuugi, otherwise he would have to give up all of the little cracks he made at his small friend.

Chuckling softly, Jou stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets.

He wished that he hadn't left home that day; though the comic convention was a pretty fun (and not to mention humorous) adventure, it was pretty far from Domino's main park. His friend could be in some crazy danger, and he probably wouldn't get there on time. The thought had Jounouchi sprinting in the general direction of the park, even though he was sure that he would be on the ground in pain soon. He cramped up pretty easily. Jounouchi made a mental sticky note to get back to the gym incase these situation began to arise more frequently.

Ever since the hero had arrived in Domino, psychos seemed to be popping up all over the place.  
Jou blinked, quickly shaking any negative thoughts about Yami from his head. That guy was giving his all to protect them and he had the nerve to question his reliability!!

Although it was pretty suspicious, Jou came to the conclusion that it only seemed like more bad guys were around, because the news was actually paying attention to them for once.

A sudden idea popped into his head as his pace began to slow, maybe because of that fact. Yami could save Yuugi! The hero was at the park, if anything were to happen to his semi-famous buddy, Yami could jump in to save the day. After all, he saved people all the time!

Although his stomach was tying into knots and he was about to topple over in pain, the teen continued to jog forward. Yami could save him, but Jounouchi wasn't about to completely rely on prayers alone.

He wanted to be there for his friend just incase.

He stopped abruptly at the sound of a moan in a nearby alleyway. 'Yuugi!' His mind screamed as he whirled around in the direction of the pained voice. You could imagine his surprise when he found himself staring at the crumpled body of his former high school classmate, Seto Kaiba.

He hated Seto Kaiba.

Despite this, Jounouchi wasn't about to just leave him there, bruised and bloodied.

"What happened to you?" He muttered, slowly walking toward the hurt CEO. It looked as if he had gotten into a fight at a costume party, a mask lying inches away from his dirt-smeared face.

He seemed to be unconscious, or at least Jou hoped he was. He looked terrible. Even Jou wouldn't wish for a man he hated to have to be awake for such a thing.

Sighing for the second time that night, Jounouchi bent over to lift the fallen brunette over his shoulder. An ambulence might have been an easier option, but the hospital was very close and he wasn't sure if Seto could wait that long for assistance. Grumbling slightly, Jou carried Seto to help, leaving his tattered mask behind.

* * *

The next morning came too quickly for Yuugi, who hadn't slept a wink. He realized that it was going to be a particularly long day when he awoke to the phone ringing. Jounouchi was calling in sick, apparently. The journalist knew that meant he was going to have to cover his shift, as his grandfather was going to attend the second day of the comic convention going on downtown. He had mentioned, quite enthusiastically, that VasGamez was going to release information on their newest project. Yuugi hadn't paid much attention to his grandfather's ramblings, but he gathered that he wouldn't miss out on the convention to work. So the sweet grandson would have to cover it.

Sighing, he rolled out of bed, working his way to the bathroom to do his daily preparings.

Through the paper thin walls, Yuugi listened as the old man scolded Jou over the phone for missing work. He assumed that there was some sort of inner meaning behind the words: "Jou, you didn't do your job," but he figured that he didn't really want or need to know what it meant.

He really didn't want to sell games to small children, not after spending a good portion of his sleeping time wondering if the night before had really happened.

His mind was completely opposed to believing it had been more than a nightmare, but the dirt and dust that shook out of his hair told him otherwise.

After a decently hot shower, Yuugi decided he was ready to face the new day head on. He nodded softly when his grandfather asked him to mind the store, having already seen it coming. Thankfully for him, the arrival of the yearly comic convention meant slow business. That was all he could handle after working on zero sleep.

Of course, it also meant that the majority of his customers were going to be small children and confused parents, which were actually Yuugi's least favorite types of customers. Beggars couldn't be choosers, he supposed.

He was dealing with a particularly frustrating mother when a familiar face popped into the store. Yuugi shouted his usual greeting and then continued trying to explain the difference between Duel Monsters and Pokemon. She just wasn't getting it, though. The spiky-haired teen was on the brink of exploding when a soft hand lightly touched his elbow.

"M'am, if I may. Duel Monsters is the latest trend, while Pokemon fell off of the map a few years ago."

Yuugi raised an eyebrow at the previously meek man from the day before as the woman grabbed a hand full of Duel Monsters merchandise.

Why hadn't he thought of that?

Yuugi quietly and quickly tended the frustrating woman out, waving goodbye as she exited the store. Now he was alone with the weird guy.

"Thanks," he started, "I thought she was going to eat me."

The stranger smiled slightly, the confidence from before suddenly speeding out of him like water from a faucet. Yuugi took notice of how he avoided eye contact and looked pretty uncomfortable.

"Was there anything I could help you with?" Yuugi asked, trying to urge the man into speaking.

"Well, I--" The man paused, gazing at the journalist/cashier with the most uncomfortable eyes. Uncomfortable and a gorgeous shade of red. "I wanted to talk to you."

"To me?" Yuugi questioned, mouth slightly agape, usually the only people who wanted anything to do with him did NOT want to talk to him. In fact, they pretty much wanted to murder him. The fact that he maybe had a fan out there, somewhere in the world, kinda freaked him out. In a good way.

His pride swelled slightly as he smiled at the other man.

"Yes, I'm an avid reader of yours." The man admitted softly, leaning against the counter as he spoke. "I actually wanted to talk about your recent articles."

His most recent articles, of course, were mostly about the Domino wonderboy.

"What about them?" Yuugi asked with a small laugh.

"Well, I've been reading your articles from the start, and I just sort of feel that..." The stranger trailed off for a moment, shifting his gaze from Yuugi once again. "I think that your writing has changed. A lot."

The teen eyed his customer, biting at the corner of his lip. So, this man was a Yami fan.

His thoughts turned toward the night before, the night that left his mind unable to write today's headline news, remembering the raw fear he felt in the park. Seeing the Hero's true nature. He wondered if this man would feel the same way had he been there to watch as Yami's monster tore that dragon to pieces. Or as he commanded said monster to go after his enemy. Yuugi couldn't help but wonder if that man was alright.

Sensing Yuugi's discomfort, or so he assumed, the man shook his head. "I mean, everything is still beautifully written! I just think that your opinion of the hero is a little-- Unfair."

Yuugi's hands clenched into fists, "Everything he stands for is a lie. He's a fraud. He's up to no good! He's downright EVIL!" he said loudly, though he immediately regretted losing his cool.

"Sorry," he said softly, loosening up a bit, "I mean, he's done a lot of good for the city. I just-- I just don't trust him."

"That's sad to hear." The man said, looking as if Yuugi's first reaction had not upset him quite as much as the second. "I cannot say that I feel the same and I wish to know why you feel that way."

The short man rubbed his head slightly, "Well, it's a really long story---"

"Great! I would love to hear it all!" Suddenly he didn't seem quite as shy as before, "I'll pick you up at 8; we'll talk about this over dinner."

Yuugi was taken aback. "Wha--! Dinner? But--"

"Oh!" The once-shy man laughed, "I suppose I forgot to tell you my name! I'm Atemu Mouto. A pleasure to finally meet you." He offered his hand to Yuugi, who shook it awkwardly as he gazed at 'Atemu' in disbelief.

"Ahh, well, see--"

"--You at dinner!" Atemu shouted as he jogged out of the game shop, obviously trying to escape before Yuugi had time to turn him down.

Sitting down behind the counter, Yuugi shook his head. He had just been completely taken advantage of.

How unfair.

* * *

Everything hurt.

Beyond belief.

Even his eyes hurt, as they opened up to the brightest room Seto had ever been couldn't have been heaven, he was sure of that. He had assumed that hell would have been a lot darker.

He had a chance to destroy the hero and instead the tables had been turned around on to him. Seto supposed that he could have thought his plan through a little bit longer; instead, he ran into battle head on with a being he didn't quite understand. How could anyone have?

The CEO had never seen Yami use any powers before. He kind of assumed that he, you know, had some super strength or something, but this was unreal. He summoned a duel monster without the use of the unreleased duel disk. The Black Magician sort of just-- Appeared.

He shuttered, the soft movement encouraging pain in all of his limbs.  
Also, he had expected hell to be a lot more unbearable than this.

His eyes had not adjusted to the light and he began to sit up. Looking around, Seto realized that he was, in fact, alive and laying in a hospital bedroom. But how had he gotten there?  
A small snore alerted him to the fact that he was not alone.

Beside him sat a familiar blonde teen, sleeping in the most uncomfortable position he had ever seen.

Instantly, Seto was back to his hell theory.

Now, Seto Kaiba had never really been friends with anyone, but he had many enemies. His least favorite had been Katsuya Jounouchi. He could remember the incredible shouting matches the two would get into in the hallways, in the lunchroom, during PE, during Art, or...  
You know, pretty much whenever they saw each other.

It couldn't be that Jou had saved him-- Right?

The teenage rich boy shook his head, no way. He knew that if he had seen Jounouchi dying, he would have laughed and walked away. Surely Jou would have been the same way?

"You're awake." A tired voice said, making Seto look wide-eyed at the waking teenager.

"Yea. What are you doing in my room, dog?"

The sleepy Jou narrowed his eyes, "I saved your life, douchebag. You should be thanking me."

Seto 'hmphed' in retort, turning away from his former enemy. Or current enemy who was no longer his main enemy. His current former main enemy. Or something.

"You couldn't pay me enough to thank you."

"Obviously." The blonde snorted, rising from his chair, "You're already rich as hell. You're also an asshole. 'Don't know why I even bothered--" That last part was said more quietly as Jou stumbled around Seto's large hospital bed, toward the door.

Seto didn't miss it though. And he couldn't really understand why those words stung. Perhaps a part of him felt guilty for being so stubborn that he couldn't thank another person for helping him. After all, because of Jou, Seto would be able to go home to take care of his little brother. All they had left was each other and he almost screwed that all up for Mokuba.

"I owe you, Jounouchi. Then, after that, I'm done with you."

Jou paused for a moment. Seto was sure that he would say something cruel or angry in response, but, once again, the blonde surprised him by quietly walking out of the room.

He didn't even slam the door.

* * *

So. Leave me some love, friends! And I'll try to be more puntual with my updates this time. haha!!

**omg kairi**


	6. Yuugi's First Date in Months

Sorry this update took so long, again. I know I said I'd have it done on time, blah blah. I suck at life, don't believe me.  
But yea. Here is the lastest update, friends!!---

After I answer a few reviews, anyway. Not many today, folks. I'm kind of in a rush to get this up for you.

Oh, once again, I haven't been able to read over this chapter yet to correct it. I'm sure there are all sorts of odd mistakes. It have been through a lame spell check, though! Hurray!

**Lyra the Sorceress of Scholars**: Thanks! I stole one from the abridged series. bahah! Anyway, hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter. Twiiiists.

**chee-wit**: My Yuugi is kind-hearted, but ignorant. He kinda faces that a little in this chapter. He isn't a little chicken, he wants to be the best out there. Yami IS the best out there... And thus, this chaper--

**Flying on a Broken Wing**: Ahh yes, Atemu. He is a wonder. You'll get to learn a little about him in this chapter, but it's going to bring a lot of questions about Atemu and who he is. We all know who he is, so I have to confuse you guys with other things...

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**Chapter Five  
****Yuugi's First Date in Months,**

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Closing time came a lot faster than Yuugi had expected. He figured it had something to do with the fact that he didn't want 8 PM to come, ever.

He was tricked into a date with a weirdo he didn't even know and he didn't have a way to get out of the country fast enough.

Okay, truthfully, he hadn't been on a date in a very long time and found himself a little bit excited about going on one. It didn't matter who with.

As long as he wasn't paying...

He assumed that because he had been asked/forced on the date, he wouldn't have to pull out his wallet.

Frowning slightly, the teen opened the doors of his closet. Inside were an overabundance of suits and nice shoes. Seeing as how Atemu dressed himself like a normal teenager, or maybe even a college student, Yuugi was sure he wasn't going to show up on his doorstep wearing a suit and tie.

He sighed softly, moving through the rack in search of something nice.

Something he would look handsome in.

After a few minutes of throwing around unwanted clothing, Yuugi finally settled on a pair of torn jeans (which he saw on TV all of the time), and a forest green, hooded sweatshirt. It wasn't exactly the most charming outfit, but he thought he looked pretty good.

Even though, you know, it wasn't like he was trying to impress anyone.

Looking in the mirror, Yuugi moved to reposition his glasses on the bridge of his nose.

Yea, this was going to be interesting...

"Yuugi!" A voice called from downstairs. His grandfather was the only other person in the house, though Yuugi recognized the obvious difference between Jou and his grandfather. One was old, and so on. "You have a guest!"

Crap. He had forgotten to tell his grandfather that he was going on a date. Oh well, he assumed he knew now. He was probably over-excited. _'Ugh, if he pulls out any of those terrible yearbook photos...' _That would be incredibly awkward considering that he didn't even know Atemu. At all. In fact, he got the impression that he was kind of a creepo/stalker, but you know--

Free food was still worth it.

With one more look into the mirror, Yuugi took a deep breath. This was it. His first date in months. He began walking down the staircase, hand unconsciously fidgeting with his sweatshirt. It kind of sucked that his first date was with someone like Atemu. The man was a nerd, worse off than Yuugi, anyway. Atemu's hair was always covered with a baseball cap, or it had been the two times he had been in the store. He wore sweatpants both times, too. Yuugi was all about being dressed up, mostly because he needed to keep up on his appearance at the office.

He tried to imagine where they were going, but all he could see was Atemu in those damned sweatpants--

That was until he saw Atemu standing in the doorway.

It was odd how much his hair resembled Yuugi's own when it wasn't being hidden by a hat, and how well it brought out those crimson eyes--

He could feel his cheeks warming as he gazed at his date for the night. To put it simply, Atemu looked completely different from a few hours before.

"Hello, Yuugi," he said warmly, though he couldn't hid the humor in his tone. The shade of Yuugi's face darkened at how obvious he was being. His grandfather looked quite amused beside Atemu; his eyebrow raised as high as his hairline... Almost.

"Hi," the teen finally offered, taking the last few steps toward the two. The way Atemu smiled and said goodbye to his grandfather was way too friendly, as if they already knew each other.

Yuugi supposed that it was because Atemu was a regular, but their matching grins suggested otherwise. They had been plotting, although Yuugi shouldn't have been thinking like that--

But he would not put it past his grandfather by any means.

So, now that the two men were out of the game shop and heading toward Atemu's car (Which was a Mustang, by the way), Yuugi's face had lost it's unrealistic coloring and he was ready to take the night head on. Like a bull by the horns. Atemu probably had some help dressing himself, or something. There was no way that anyone who looked this good would dress like a complete slob without being fashionably-blind. Not that Yuugi was all that fashionable himself, but sweatpants??

Okay, so maybe he had this odd sweatpants-phobia, but still. Really, he was just angry that Atemu waited to show his good looks until their date, when he could have used something to take his mind off the day before's happenings.

As Atemu opened up the passenger's side door for him, Yuugi caught a glimpse of his beautiful eyes again, hypnotizing him almost. For some reason, Yami's blood red eyes flashed before his mind, full of hatred and malice.

"Yuugi?"

Atemu was suddenly on his right and the car was in motion. When had that happened?

"I asked you if you liked seafood." He smiled, "I know of a great restaurant, but I knew I shouldn't assume that just because I like it, everyone else will."

The journalist shook his head, "Oh, no! I love seafood! By all means, take me there." He grinned at the other in return, letting his eyes wander for a moment longer than necessary. "So, if it isn't too rude of me, why don't you dress like this all of the time?"

Atemu's laugh was so rich, floating past Yuugi's ears like a river of chocolate, or something equally as sweet that he usually didn't daydream about and make sappy comparisons to. "Why? Do you not like the way I dress during the day?" He offered Yuugi a smirk, knowing the smaller wasn't going to answer, "I'm just lazy."

Yuugi was a tad bit surprised that anyone could just admit to something like that. Especially as they drove around in their nice car, wearing designer clothing. "Lazy? You dress pretty nice for being lazy."

The man shrugged an arm casually, "Inheritance."

"Lucky bastard," Yuugi mused, leaning back comfortably in his chair.

"I know it." Atemu laughed awkwardly, but the writer didn't question it.

There was a stretch of time, Yuugi wasn't sure how long, that they both sat in silence. It should have been uncomfortable for a first date, but it wasn't. It was kind of relaxing, as if this wasn't the first time they had been around each other. He felt as if he had already met Atemu; there was just something so familiar about the other man...

"Yuugi," Atemu cut his thoughts off quite abruptly, glancing at Yuugi quickly, "We're here."

Once again, he had been so wrapped up in his romantic musings that he hadn't been paying attention. And he thought Atemu was the creepo--

But there was just something! It wasn't all about Atemu being good-looking and charming. There was something Yuugi couldn't quite put his finger on.

"Did you enjoy the ride?" Atemu questioned, taking Yuugi by the arm as he lead them to the restaurant entrance.

"Too nice," he responded with a chuckle, "I wish I had a car like that."

Atemu smiled as Yuugi imagined his dream car.

The outside of KoFusion had been lovely; tinted windows hid the customers and a neon blue sign glared heavily at him from above the doors.

Once again, Atemu opened the door for him in a gentlemanly manner, causing Yuugi to blush very slightly. It was hidden by the lighting of the establishment, which went way beyond it's outside setting. Neon lights lit the whole store, giving it a very 'night-club' look. The journalist looked around in awe, barely greeting the hostess in the manner he would have liked to as she giddily announced that she recognized him. That didn't happen often.

Well, people weren't excited about recognizing him often.

"Perhaps I'm not your only admirer," Atemu said softly as they were led to their table, amusement think in his baritone voice.

Yuugi didn't comment; he left his cheeks burn in place of words.

"Here you go!" The hostess offered the two one last look of approval before running off, star-struck.

"How odd," Yuugi laughed, "usually people threaten me, not act like I'm Johnny Depp or something."

They shared a hearty laugh before picking up menus.

Yuugi was already decided on his meal for the evening after seeing that they had a grand selection of sushi. His mouth was watering already.

"Hey. My name is Bakura. Do you want drinks?" Yuugi stared up at the frustrated-looking waiter, wondering where they went wrong. It must have been that waitress! She was pretending to like him, and then stuck him with a crappy, moody waiter!

"Bakura?" The waiter blinked in surprise, looking down at Atemu.

"Pharaoh? Hey, how goes it?" _So they were friends? ...Wait, Pharaoh??_

"What the hell are you doing here!?" _Maybe not?_

"I work here, what the hell are **you** doing here?"

"I'm trying to impress my date."

"Date?? Aren't you too fucking old to date?" _That didn't make sense..._ He looked to be around Yuugi's age, a few years older at most.

"Bakura, shut the hell up." Atemu's face was etched in anger, surprising Yuugi as well as resurfacing some bad memories. He wasn't sure who this Bakura guy was, but Atemu obviously did not like him. The white-haired man simply ignored that fact and raised an eyebrow as he stared at Yuugi. It was making him uncomfortable...

"Bakura, you're scaring my date." Atemu sighed, only earning a smirk in response from the odd waiter.

"Sorry. Can I take your orders, guys?" And suddenly he was playing the role of friendly waiter.

"Um, California Rolls, please?" Yuugi said as calmly as possible after that crazy moment.

"I'll have the same." Atemu said sternly, handing Bakura both of their menus.

They were both incredibly relieved when he left for the kitchen.

"A friend of yours?" Yuugi asked after a moment, sipping on a glass of water that a cute bus boy had brought them.

"You might say that," Another sigh, "More like an annoying house guest."

The journalist nearly spit the water all over Atemu. A house guest? Seriously??

"That guy lives with you??"

Atemu reached over the table, brushing hands with Yuugi as he did so. The teen blinked at him as he grabbed a set of chopsticks that had been placed on the table by the hostess.

The touch set Yuugi at ease, thankfully, but the surprise was still there.

"Not by my choice," the elder, or so Yuugi now assumed, answered, "There is a group of us that live together. Part of our inheritance, or at least that is the easiest way to explain it."

The journalist eyed his date suspiciously for a moment before Atemu, as had become custom that night, broke the silence. "So, on to the point of this date." He smiled as Yuugi's thoughts transferred to earlier that afternoon where sweatpants-adorned Atemu challenged his hatred for the superhero. Atemu laughed, making Yuugi flush. What kind of facial expression was he making, he wondered to himself. "Why do you hate him so much?"

Ahh, the question of the day!

"He is an attention-seeking bastard." Yuugi answered quite promptly, causing Atemu to stop laughing.

"Oh?" He started, waving off Bakura who had just set down their food. Yuugi didn't miss the look of interest on Bakura's face as he trotted off. "Do you think he sets up all of the people he saves and calls news reporters all day long?"

"Maybe," Yuugi said, popping a california roll into his mouth, "Even if he doesn't, I'm sure he loves being in the spotlight all of the time."

"I think you're jealous." Atemu responded simply, staring back at Yuugi who had pursed his lips firmly.

"I. Am. Not. Jealous." If looks could kill--

"Maybe you don't think so, but how else could you believe that Yami loves the spotlight? I mean, he has crazy people trying to kill him constantly. He never gets a break because there is always someone to save," Atemu was ranting like a typical fanboy, until: "And he can't even pick up the newspaper without seeing your cruel headlines. If anything, I'd say you want to be in the spotlight, the way you poke at him in your writing."

Yuugi was stunned, being called out like this on a date. Had Atemu only asked him out to hurt him? He wasn't a fan, he was an enemy, just like the rest.

"I'm sorry," Atemu said abruptly, "I went too far, I'm sorry."

Yuugi just stared down at his plate, thinking about what Atemu had said. Maybe--

Maybe he was a little bit unfair. He never took Yami's feelings into account, simply because he assumed Yami had no feelings. That was the opposite of how Yuugi usually considered himself to be. He usually put everyone before him, everyone--

He even tried to rescue a stranger the other night, but it had turned out to be the one person who didn't need to be saved.

"It's not being in the spotlight that I'm jealous of." Yuugi admitted, still looking down at his delicious, uneaten food. He wasn't sure what was harder, telling this to Atemu or finally admitting it to himself. "I think it's because I've always wanted to be the hero. I just want to help people, but no one needs me."

"Because everyone needs him." Atemu sighed, sounding exhausted. "That's completely normal, you know."

Yuugi smiled half-heartedly. "It's sick... But then, the other night--" What was he doing? He was telling a complete stranger his whole life story!! "The other night, I saw him hurt someone."

Atemu looked confused, "What? Hurt someone--? What do you mean?"

"When that mad man was attacking people with duel monsters in the dark, I saw Yami--" Explaining that situation would make him sound insane. "I saw him try to kill someone."

The man seemed to be trying to take this new information in, though his handsome features were nearly unreadable. He had a pretty good poker-face, Yuugi decided. The next few moments passed without words. They seemed to be good at the whole 'unawkward-silence' situations. Eventually Bakura brought the bill to them, smirking as he eyed Atemu. There was something going on between the two of them, something very off. Bakura had to be more than just a roomate, though it obviously wasn't a romantic relationship.

Unless they were both weirdos, like Yuugi's first impression of Atemu had been.

Atemu left the money and a generous tip on the table, offering Yuugi his arm once agan. The smaller teen gratefully accepted it. As they walked outside into the fresh air, Atemu turned his head toward him. "If he was a bad man, Yuugi, wouldn't it be alright to hurt him? If it meant protecting others?"

"It was the way it was done; the way he spoke. He sounded so heartless. Sometimes you need to be defensive to protect someone, but you shouldn't enjoy it."

It must have been obvious to Atemu that he wouldn't be able to change Yuugi's mind, because he dropped the subject. "I'm really sorry for hurting your feelings," he said honestly, "I let myself get caught up in something that didn't-- matter." He winced and Yuugi eyed him curiously.

"No, it's alright. I need to have sense knocked into me sometimes." The youth chuckled.

"Regardless, I'd like to make it up to you. Will you go out with me again, tomorrow night?" Atemu asked. Yuugi found that he could not resist his charm, as it made his knees weak and jelly-like.

"Yea, I'd like that a lot."

And for the last time that night, they shared a smile.

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Ahhhh, and there's some romance for you. More to come! And some drama and action, too. Otherwise I'm going to have a hard time writing this crap! hahaha!

I less than three you all.

**omg kairi**


	7. Who Needs Electricity

Sorry this update has taken so damn long. I wrote a one-shot called _If You See Him, Say Hello _to make up for the delay, so read it if you haven't yet. It's a creepy puzzleshipping story. Fun stuff.

I would like to use this space to unnecessarily spamvertise the story that I will begin writing after this one. Yes, folks, that means this story will be coming to an end soon.

I'm not completely sure about the title yet, as I haven't completely figured out all the kinks, but here is a quick summary regardless:

_**In an attempt to prove a theory about human soulmates, a mischievous deity creates a perfect world without shadow games and two lovers are forced to meet under different circumstances.**_

I'm crazy excited to start writing it! But anyway, in response to my lovely reviewers:

**Ten**: I'm glad you gave my AU story a chance and enjoyed it! It's good to know that I'm doing an alright job rewriting characters and putting them into completely different situations.

**YamiYugi4Ever**: Atemu understands, better than you could imagine…hehe!

**Yuugisgirl**: It's kind of like how no one could recognize Clark Kent with his glasses off. Same general idea.

**Kingleby**: Yea, but at least he'd be a handsome waiter.

**Yukiyuki**: He is the way he needs to be.

**Luvanime4life**: Yuugi is just bitter and… Well, jealous. Hehe.

**Tavia454**: I'm sure you'll find this one to be even more interesting! Bwhaha!

**Flying on a Broken Wing**: I call Yuugi a teen because he is a teenage journalist. He only got to where he is from knowing Seto Kaiba, otherwise his age would have been an impassable road block.

**SRRH**: Bakura working at a restaurant is a pretty funny thought. Atemu is silly, living with a crazy guy who he doesn't keep an eye out for.

**WARNING****: This chapter contains some scenes of hardcore making out. A link to the lemon will be provided at the bottom.**

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**Chapter Six**

**Who Needs Electricity When You Have Teenage Hormones?**

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The first date hadn't been the complete disaster that Yuugi had half-imagined. Atemu was gorgeous, charming and although his opinion of the Domino Hero was different than Yuugi's, he couldn't help but feel completely comfortable around the guy.

He had quickly changed from the creepy customer to Yuugi's crush in just a matter of hours.

The teen opened up the door, welcoming his guest happily. Grandfather Motou was out of the house for the evening, and Jounouchi had a tendency to not be home until the wee hours of the night, so Yuugi didn't worry much about privacy. That's right; this date was to be held at the journalist's own home! Of course this wasn't the original plan. Sadly enough, a storm outside had cancelled their plans to ride a crazy amount of roller coasters. Yuugi couldn't pretend he didn't like the idea of having a nice dinner by candle light, all alone with Atemu.

Although the home behind the game shop was small in comparison to what Yuugi was sure Atemu was used to it, it was quaint. His grandfather had given their home a very old-fashioned look, but it fit perfectly. It was tidy, free from dust and had a very welcoming atmosphere. Heck, Yuugi even thought their house smelled nice, though the candles and recently-cooked meal helped the aroma.

Smiling as he led his guest into the kitchen, Yuugi was pleased to note the look of surprise on Atemu's face. He had specially prepared a gorgeous steak meal to be topped off with a bottle of Yuugi's favorite champagne. So maybe he went a bit above and beyond for the second date, but he felt he needed to show off a little after being in Atemu's fancy car.

"Yuugi, this steak is splendid!" Atemu praised, a look of bliss on his handsome features, "I didn't realize you were multitalented."

The journalist scratched the back of his neck in a bashful manner. Even though he was well aware that Atemu was a fan before he had even met THE Yuugi Motou, it was still nice to hear a compliment every once in awhile. He had become so used to the criticism that he sort of expected it. Oddly enough, terrible reviewers seemed to help earn him a rather large gathering of readers, whether or not they read because they liked it was unknown to Yuugi.

"Well, it's kind of embarrassing, actually. I learned from my mother." He chuckled, messing with his glasses. Perhaps it had become something he did when he was embarrassed rather than a useless habit.

"That's nothing to be embarrassed of, mothers are brilliant creatures." Atemu almost looked sad for an instant. Yuugi couldn't be sure if he had imagined it or not; he ignored it, though. Nothing, not even Yami, could make this evening go awry.

It wasn't soon after those thoughts had run through his spiky-haired head that the lights had gone out. Thunder crashed violently in his ears, and all he could do was sigh in response.

Thankfully they had the candles lit, so they could finish their meal in peaceful tranquility at the very least.

"What a storm, eh?" Atemu chuckled awkwardly, cutting into his steak, "It doesn't seem to want us to finish this date." Yuugi found the smile that Atemu threw to be comforting, though he wasn't quite sure how.

"I had a movie planned for the evening," Yuugi turned his face to hide his pout, "But we'll have to find something else to do—" Immediately his mind dove into the gutter; hell, it even helped remove some leaves. "—Like play some board games."

Atemu nodded while he chewed, obviously not wanting to answer in words with a full mouth. This made them smaller of the two smile, noting that his new friend was not only charming, but a gentleman. Manners were always a plus, especially since Yuugi's life was full of people like Jounouchi. Zero manners. Ugh.

"I love games," Atemu's eyes seemed to flash, "I suppose that's why I love the Turtle Game Shop so much." He mused, taking another bite of the steak that Yuugi had put his all into preparing. Yuugi would have usually been filled with pride at words like that, knowing his grandfather had spent so much time building it, but there was something so familiar about the way Atemu said that…

_"Where to?" The hero questioned his face unreasonably close to Yuugi's._

_"Ugh, the Turtle Game Shop, please." It was famous in the city, being the biggest game shop around for miles. It had started out as a tiny corner store, but his grandfather had really worked wonders with it the years._

_"I love that store, you own it?" The hero questioned, surprising Yuugi with the fact that he shopped there, that a hero shopped anywhere._

_"My grandfather does; I live with him. I help out sometimes, but mostly him and my friend Jounouchi run it." _

Yuugi quickly scratched the memory from his thoughts, plastering a smile to his face for his date's sake.

"Are you alright?" Atemu looked as disturbed as he felt for some reason. "You looked out of it for a moment there."

"Sorry, I was just thinking about this dreadful storm." He lied, his smile never wavering. Atemu seemed unconvinced, but didn't dwell on it. They sat in silence for the next few moments, finishing theirs meals in a fast pace. Yuugi wasn't sure what Atemu was thinking about, but he had this odd feeling that the other was hiding something. It unnerved him, but his thoughts were interrupted sharply by the other's voice.

"That was amazing, Yuugi." The look of pure bliss was hard to miss, but once again, it delighted Yuugi to hear it in words. "So, what games did you have in mind?"

The teen jumped out of his seat, running to a nearby drawer. He fished out a decently sized flashlight, grinning wildly at his date. "Are you ready to see my room?"

Atemu leaned back in his seat for a moment before rising, an eyebrow arched high. "I suppose I am." The amusement in his voice sent a shiver straight down Yuugi's spine, but he supposed he deserved an answer like that. He reminded himself to try and keep better control of his hormones for the remainder of the evening.

The duo, Yuugi in front and Atemu close on his heel, ran up the stairs to Yuugi's bedroom. Atemu chuckled, probably because of the mess that Yuugi left in his bedroom. "Sorry," the younger said sheepishly, "I would have cleaned if I had thought I'd have you in here."

He couldn't help it, he blushed this time. These slip-ups were too much to handle. At least this way Atemu wouldn't think that he had been purposely trying to get the other to sleep with him or something.

Atemu smirked, looking around what should have been an unfamiliar room as if he had been there many times. Yuugi remembered that Atemu had first come off as a stalker, a creepy weirdo. His date's cough interrupted his musings once again.

The teen gave a small smile before pointing the flashlight in the corner of his room. His closet door was closed to keep things from falling out. Tonight, in the complete darkness during the terror of a thunderstorm, he was going to brave the abyss. He briskly walked to the door, turning the handle rather quickly. He had been prepared for the onslaught of falling toys and board games though, jumping back instantly. Yuugi may have been overly-smug about his escape from a bumped head, but he was quickly embarrassed by Atemu's laugh as his darkened figure joined him near the closet.

"You have almost enough games in your closet to challenge your shop downstairs."

Yuugi shared a laugh with Atemu this time; he really needed to think about cleaning his room, especially now that he had a boyfriend. He blinked, trying to figure out where such a random thought came from. This was their second date. Yuugi unconsciously fiddled with his glasses again, turning to the pile of games before them; these silly thoughts were something he wanted to erase from his head.

For now at least.

"You have the_ Zelda_ board game? Wow, I'm impressed. This is nearly older than your grandfather." Atemu joked, picking up the worn box.

"Hah, yea. I ordered it off Ebay a few years ago when I was addicted to the game."

Yuugi reached for _Monopoly_, pushing it to the side. He didn't want to play a game that would lat for three days. Something like _Chess_, maybe? Or Clue!  
He pulled another few boxes, making a pile beside him of game choices. The glint of gold didn't catch his eye immediately; at least, not until it was in Atemu's shaking hands.

"Yuugi," the taller man's voice was firm, unlike his hands, "Where did you get this?"

The journalist reached for the golden object, feeling peculiarly protective of a puzzle that he hadn't touched in years. Oddly enough, it looked as clean as it had been the night he finished putting it together, not a speck of dust to speak of. "My puzzle…" The teen whispered, glaring when Atemu would not let go of it.

"Where did you get this?" Atemu demanded, standing up. The gleam of the puzzle in his hands seemed to light the room, though Yuugi didn't question this.

"My grandfather spent a lot of time in Egypt, he brought the puzzle back to me and I put it together." Yuugi told him, watching his unsteady friend. Atemu's stare seemed critical and he quickly added: "Over a span of eight years, anyway."

"Wow, that is impressive." Atemu mused, looking over the object almost possessively.

"You think so? Usually people think that it took a crazy amount of time to put such a small pyramid together." Yuugi watched Atemu suspiciously. "Atemu, can I please have my puzzle back?"

Atemu looked up for a moment, searching Yuugi's eyes for something that the journalist did not understand. A moment later he handed the puzzle back to its owner, though hesitantly. "You know about the Millennium Puzzle." This was a statement from Yuugi, not a question.

"Yes."

"How?"

Atemu's gaze seemed far off for the second time that night, but he answered regardless. "I've heard stories. My father was an— Archaeologist, you see. He brought home with him many objects and plenty of stories, but I thought that the story of the Nameless Pharaoh was only that. A story."

Yuugi listened with sudden interest; He had previously only heard mention of the Nameless Pharaoh by his grandfather, who had become his obsession for awhile. It wasn't until Yuugi solved the puzzle and nothing happened that the elderly man had let the story die.

"I don't believe any of it." Yuugi said, leaning back on his palms. "I solved the puzzle and I didn't have a wish granted; I didn't suddenly become all powerful or anything. I just— Solved an unsolvable puzzle." He chuckled nervously, waiting for Atemu to answer.

"I see." Atemu seemed to ponder Yuugi's words for a moment, making the youth incredibly uncomfortable as he held the puzzle in his hands. Somehow it felt warm, though it had only been held for a minute or so. He noticed also that the gleam had died down, but it seemed odd that it had ever existed when Atemu held it. The flashlight was pointing in a completely different direction. Before he could comment, however, Atemu had sat back down, closer to Yuugi than the younger boy expected. "I believe that it may have worked better than you think, you just haven't realized it yet."

Yuugi was going to roll his eyes at Atemu's superstitions and strong beliefs in things that didn't really deserve them, but the distance between them was closed in a manner he hadn't expected.

Atemu's hand was suddenly on his cheek, gently caressing the smooth skin. Yuugi was sure that his face was redder than a tomato, though it was completely not his fault. He hadn't the slightest bit of warning!

"Yuugi, you are adorable." Atemu thought aloud, removing Yuugi's glasses to be strewn aside with all of his board games. His cheeks were positively enflamed, possibly at the thought of being _adorable_. He was a guy after all.

Yuugi didn't have much more time to think as Atemu's lips descended onto his own. His eyes fluttered closed, grateful that he was still good at this whole kissing back thing after being out of practice for so long.  
As suddenly as they had come, Atemu's lips were gone. Yuugi wasn't shocked to see the elder licking his lips seductively. He hardly noticed when Atemu removed the puzzle from his hands and proceeded to push him to the floor.

In an instant Atemu was above him, kissing him with a sudden fervor. Yuugi couldn't help but let a small moan escape his throat, bringing his hand up to Atemu's similar hair. Finger's entangled in his locks and lips trapped in Atemu's own, Yuugi found himself thrown into heaven, unexpectedly though he completely approved.  
Yuugi nipped expertly at Atemu's bottom lip, though the other quickly took advantage of his partner's open mouth. French kisses weren't usually Yuugi's favorite, but something about the way that Atemu's tongue danced against his drove him wild. He couldn't help the way his hips rose to meet Atemu's, though the slightly shocked look on Atemu's face made him blush. Shock turned into amusement, however, and within moments Atemu's lips were on Yuugi's neck, driving the teen crazy with small nips and kisses.

Atemu was ready to meet Yuugi's lust-driven hip movements with his own, causing Yuugi to moan from the double onslaught. Atemu's hand quickly found its way under the journalist's shirt, running over his slim belly. Yuugi would have laughed under different circumstances, but the sounds that spilled from his lips were very much the opposite of laughter. He could tell that they only encouraged Atemu's ministrations, but he was kind of happy for that.

Hadn't he said something earlier about not letting his hormones get out of control? This was hardly his doing, he thought, Atemu just sort of jumped him. Though it wasn't as if he had told Atemu to stop or anything, he wanted this just as badly as his date.  
Okay, if they were going to go this far, though—  
He was kind of a traditional sort of gir— Guy when it came to sex. You give it up, then you have to commit. He didn't want to be seen as some sort of whore or anything.

Atemu's chuckle met his ear, literally. The man nipped gently at Yuugi's earlobe, "What are you thinking about, love?" A term of endearment that only helped Yuugi's decision.

"I was just thinking," Yuugi moaned as Atemu's fingers met on of his nipples, "If we're going to do this, we should probably make it official."

"And what's that, love?" He smirked, biting down on the flesh of his ear.

"Ah—I just think that we should make _us_ official."

"I wouldn't have it any other way, but I'm glad that you assume we're going to have sex."

Yuugi blinked through all of the feelings, raising his head to look at Atemu. "Why, are we not?"

"Now we are," Atemu's laugh was anything but innocent as he removed Yuugi's shirt completely, moving to pin the younger man's arms beneath him.

* * *

So kids, I'm going to post the lemon elsewhere since FFNET is kinda crazypsycho about these things. I hope you liked this chapter, as I finally gave you some of the romance you all desire! Bwhaha! Anyway, the lemon can be found at: www DOT geocities DOT com SLASH yumm_pop1314 SLASH herolemon DOT htm

I'm wondering if you guys are catching any of my tiny hints to things to come, or if you're all in the blue about everything. Either way I'm having fun playing with you all.

A prewarning, the next chapter will be from Atemu's point of view and will answer many of your questions.

**omg kairi  
**


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